American Gothic Painting Grant Wood Meaning

The grant wood painting american gothic is a touchstone of american culture depicting an upright midwestern family on the farm.

American gothic painting grant wood meaning.

Few paintings are as iconic as grant wood s american gothic the piece s staging is so embedded into american culture that even its countless parodies and homages are instantly recognizable. Artist grant wood might have thought his satire of small town midwestern america was funny and right on target but many art critics initially found his painting american gothic to be mean spirited and insulting toward the simple a low blow toward the hardworking men and women of the midwest living through the tough economic times during the great depression. Among the most influential 20th century painters of the american midwest grant wood is famous for his unique contribution to regionalism c 1925 45 the american reaction to the country s dependence on european modern art which flourished during the interwar period. Some critics derided his regionalist art as influenced by pernicious political theories.

Although wood had intended for some time to do a portrait of midwestern types it is known that the house in eldon iowa inspired the painting wood called american gothic because only the house is shown in surviving preliminary sketches for the painting. Wood submitted american gothic the name a nod to the house s architectural style to a 1930 competition at the art institute of chicago. Wood insisted that as a loyal iowan he did not mean to paint a caricature only show his appreciation. Grant wood 1891 1942 is one of the best known and most revered american artists of the 20th century.

Overnight the painting became a hit. Analysis of american gothic by grant wood. American gothic is a 1930 painting by grant wood in the collection of the art institute of chicago. The story behind the painting is the subject of thomas hoving s book.

Others saw hints of sly camp humor impacted by wood s closeted homosexuality. American gothic won a. The meaning of the portrait which features two solemn faced individuals is something that has been debated since its creation. His american gothic painting is iconic.

He was inspired to paint what is now known as the american gothic house in eldon iowa along with the kind of people fancied should live in that house. The figures were modeled by wood s sister nan wood graham and their dentist dr. However the american gothic sparked a backlash in the artist s hometown of cedar rapids iowa as locals were displeased about being portrayed as pinched grim faced puritanical bible thumpers.